HilHi 10 year reunion

I can't believe that I am old enough to have a 10 year high school reunion. The only comfort is if I am older that means you are all older with me. I was in the class of 1999 at Hillsboro High School. I remember we were the last class to graduate in the twentieth century in Oregon. 10 years ago I felt ready to set out on my own and start a new chapter in my life. The world was mine to seize and anything was possible. Now 10 years later I don't feel I have changed completely or captured the world the way I once wanted. What has happened is I have grown to feel more confident in my own skin and know my self more. Our reunion was at Kell's downtown on Friday night and then a free picnic in Hillsboro on Saturday. My class wasn't the most involved or motivated class at Hilhi. I think that in a combination with the cost of the reunion kept some people from attending (lame). I did enjoy seeing those who came and their families. Some people hadn't changed in appearance or personality while others were almost unrecognizable. Some where rocking the single life while others had little ones. One even had four kids! Some lived in the same neighborhood they grew up in while others have lived in other countries. One thing that is still true today as it was 10 years ago the class of 1999 has the capabilities to do great things and change to world for the better. GO SPARTANS!!!!!

Summer Time Memories

Sort of stopped blogging for many reasons but recently everyone has been asking us why we haven't updated. Here we were thinking no one was reading it since we rarely got comments posted on the blog. Since our last post in February a lot has happen. But at this moment I don't feel like regurgitating it all, maybe later. What I wanted to share were some past summer memories. I have been feeling pretty nostalgic lately, could be the fact my 10 year high school reunion was this weekend. I have also been thinking a lot about my "Chicky" grandma. Almost every couple days I think I need to call her and then I get busy and remember as I am going to bed. A combination of feeling nostalgic and thinking of my "Chicky" grandma this post is dedicated to my McIlroy family. First I must preference my story with this, these are a little child's memories and so might be slightly inaccurate. As a young girl I spent most summers, a few winters and even a Thanksgiving at the Hanson (McIlroy) Walport beach house. I am not sure the year the beach house was built but it has been in my Grandpa Dick's family for a very, very long time. It is two stories with a green roof and green shutters. Sometimes there are red potted geraniums on the front porch. The house has no phones or television except the one on wheels I have never seen used. There are two bedrooms down stairs usually where my grandparents and my great grandmother slept. The rest of the main floor housed a living room, kitchen and added bathroom. In the living room there was green velvet couch that above it had a painting of naked men and women laying around a pool. I would try to sneak peaks at the picture and giggle that my grandparents owned something so "scandalous." Near the fire place was a large well worn leather chair that I would cuddle with my mom or dad in. Upstairs where two large bedrooms and a bathroom. My sister and I slept upstairs with our parents. Often times we argued over who slept next to the scary closet door. We both believed it was haunted. The next upstairs room my aunt stayed in or my grandfather would use it as his fly fishing room. The house was right on the beach a few yards away from the Walport bay. My summers where filled with sandcastles, sea shells and walks on the beach. We often went crabbing. My sister Lora and I chasing each other with crabs on the dock. I only remember one time catching enough crabs to actually eat. The first time I had shrimp cocktail was at the beach house. I felt so grown up and refined eating the pretty cup of shrimp and red sauce. I believe it was the summers I spent at the beach house that ignited my love for games. There was always a mean game of Gin Rummy going on or someone playing solitaire. The beach house was a place to get away from everyday life and reconnect with loved ones. Where multi-tasking meant soaking up the sun, while listening to soft jazz and reading a good book in the back yard. Where the concept of family meals meant shopping, cooking, eating and cleaning up together. Where my imagination was fueled and allowed to be free. Sadly I haven't been to the beach house since my Junior year in college. I would love for Corey to see the place sometime. I feel so fortunate to have had a childhood that has so many amazing and wonderful memories of the beach and the special beach house with its green shutters. Thank you McIlroy family.

Melvin

Now onto our fur baby, Melvin. Most people have baby stories but Corey and I have Melvin stories. Melvins new thing he loves to do is climb or jump from the dressers into our laundry hampers. He likes to play with the handles on the inside or at least I think. He either jumps out or rocks the hamper back and forth and gets out. At least one time he locked himself in our room when the hamper fill over and didn't right its self and blocked the door. As previously mentioned he can open all the doors in the house. Never a dull moment in our house with our little Melvin.

Trip to Seattle

Corey and I made a trip up to Seattle this weekend to officially meet our new nephew Zander Edward. We each worked a half day Friday and just barely made it to Seattle before rush hour traffic. We picked up some groceries to help make Friday and Valentine day dinner for the new family of three (five if you count the cats). Corey is truly enjoining being an uncle to Zander. I think the pictures speak for themselves. He even changed his first diaper, I couldn't resist a picture. Zander is a great baby still working out his sleep/eating schedule but getting better each day. We both enjoyed snuggling with him. Corey and I also got the chance to play with Kinsey's and Mike's Wii. I lost every single game except boxing. I am proud to say I kicked Corey's butt. I don't think we would ever get a Wii for ourselves but it is fun to play. We also sucked more people into the Settlers of Catan world. It is a board game our friends Reba and Damien got us hooked on. Now we ask everyone we know to play with us. Watch out you might be next. It was a very relaxing weekend. We won't see Zander until end of March where he will be 2 months and will most likely impress us all with what he can do.

Celebrating 7 years together!

You would think with working part-time this blog would be updated daily. Since the last post Corey and I celebrated our 7th anniversary together. We have been together for 7 years and married for almost 3 1/2years. As some of you know Corey and I meet at OSU living in the co-ops together. How we got together was a long trip in a snow storm back from the annual co-op Sunriver trip over Martin Lutheran King weekend. On returning to Corvallis I tried to give Corey money for gas but he refused. In return I made him an Emergency car kit. It had spicy Doritos (only food we had in the car), skittles, large snow scraper for car (he had a pocket size one) and maybe other things but can't remember. After I dropped it off Corey came over to Azalea house, I was in the kitchen hanging out. We started talking and before we knew it it was midnight I apologize for keeping him from saying hello to Audra (his friend at Azalea). But Corey said he came over to see me, he asked me out in the Azalea kitchen for Friday January 25th. And I guess they would say the rest is history. We spent our anniversary making fondue together for first time. We had steak in oil/butter sauce, cheese fondue with veggies and bread and a yummy chocolate caramel sauce for fruit and angel food cake. Finishing the night off looking back out relationship. I have a box Corey gave me filled with little mementos from our time together. During our pre-marriage counseling we were encouraged to talk about how we got together and favorite memories to help slow life down and remember the important things, love. Hope we all take the time out to remind our loved ones just how special they are to us. I know I don't do it as much as I would like. Happy Belated Valentines day everyone!

Aunt and Uncle Again!

Today at 4:40pm we became an aunt and uncle again to Corey's sisters new baby boy Zander Edward Frick. He weighed in at 9lbs and was 20.5 inches long. We can't wait to see pictures and hold him. Congrats to the new parents Kinsey and Mike and enjoy your new love.

Farewell to Margo

Sad news on the cat front our families beloved cat Margo passed away last night. Here is the email my mother sent out about her.


As many of you know about 6 months ago we took over being the parents of Kit Kat (Margo), after Carol & Corey where forced to give her up as Mel wanted to remain an only child. We found her to be a sweet and loving cat, that both Ted and I have grown to care for these past few months.


Unfortunately it turned out that she had contracted the Feline Infectious Peritonitis Virus, which is a mutation of the corona virus, which many cats get (it is shed in feces and passed on to other cats, especially when there are many cats coming together such as in a shelter) The majority of the cats in the world come into contact with the cornona virus, and usually they fight it off or just become carriers of the corona virus with no side affects. Only 1 in 5,000 cats end up having the corona virus mutant into FIP. It appears from study that those cats that do get it may have a weaken system or a genetic trait for the mutation (just like certain humans get certain cancers and others do not). Since Mel is a strong healthy cat he like the majority of the cats in the world -probably will not get this disease.


There are two types, with Kat Kat it appears getting the dry type. With dry FIP cats show ocular or neurological signs- we did not realize that the large pupils that she displaced, the running eyes and the sneezes that she had for a short time(about three months ago ) was the advent of the disease. It was only on Monday that she started displaying the neurological signs, and started having trouble walking. I took her to the vet yesterday, and he told me that she either had just pulled the muscle in her legs, and was perhaps showing signs of a genetic defect(her rear legs were always a little strange) or she could have this FIP. (Which she could have gotten at birth or anytime during the three times she was in a shelter and for some reason -probably because just as some humans get cancer and others do not it flared into the FIP). There is nothing one can do for the FIP, but hope that the pet does not have pain. I got some pain pills and bought her home. She had a little special food and I laid her on a blanket on the bed- where she has been sleeping between Ted and I. I went to start dinner and when I came back into the room a short time later- she was all stretched out- I realized that she had passed away.


Corey, Carol and I will be burying her in the back yard. And we will remember Kit Kat (Margo/Brinta- she had several past names) with love.